Chapter 313: Rhodes Doesn't Know
On a path still some distance from the northern battlefield, Rhodes and Serie walked side by side. Their leisurely pace was completely out of sync with the tense reports coming from the front lines.
They had departed much later than Flamme, yet they showed no intention of rushing to catch up.
"At this speed, by the time we arrive, Flamme will probably have already resolved whatever she's trying to hide," Serie said flatly, gazing into the distance.
She had naturally guessed that Flamme was hiding something from her. Unfortunately, the girl was very careful; Serie couldn't find any clues even in Flamme's own room.
Serie even suspected: Is Flamme planning to make a move on Rhodes again?
If that were truly the case, she would have to teach this clueless, foolish apprentice a lesson she would never forget.
Last time, their duel had ended inconclusively due to Rhodes's intervention. Otherwise, Serie would have definitely broken one of Flamme's legs to show her the consequences of trying to steal her man.
Beside her, oblivious to Serie's thoughts, Rhodes plucked a wild fruit from the roadside, wiped it on his clothes, and popped it into his mouth, looking relaxed.
"Indeed. Although we could teleport directly, using teleportation magic for such a small matter is overkill. Besides," his gaze swept over Serie, "don't you think it is nice to walk slowly like this and look at the scenery?"
Serie glanced at him but didn't refute.
In her long life, she spent most of her time studying magic. The few times she traveled were mostly in the company of this man.
A pure, aimless journey like this had happened last time, but it was interrupted because of Frieren. Now, it seemed they were picking up where they left off.
However, Serie had to admit that with this person by her side, even ordinary scenery seemed to hold a different meaning.
Rhodes appeared casual, but in reality, he kept his detection magic active at all times. Simultaneously, whenever they passed through villages or towns, he actively gathered information from various sources.
"Still no movement from the Demon King. The attacks from the demons under her command remain frantic, but her main body hasn't appeared on the battlefield."
This was intelligence Rhodes gathered from a squad of soldiers retreating from the front lines.
Although the situation on the northern battlefield was becoming increasingly tense, fortunately, the strongest among the demons were only at the level of the Seven Sages of Destruction. The mysterious and powerful Demon King had remained absent, allowing the allied forces to barely cope.
"Is she accumulating strength? Or waiting for something?" Serie frowned slightly.
"Yes, waiting for what..."
Rhodes had a vague feeling that the person the Demon King was waiting for... was him.
It was an indescribable feeling, so he couldn't explain it to Serie.
"Regardless, her final end is already sealed," Rhodes declared confidently.
Serie was long accustomed to, and even somewhat reliant on, his confidence born of absolute strength.
Several days later, they arrived at a small town nestled in a valley.
Deciding to rest there for the night, Rhodes used communication magic to briefly check in with Ela and Frieren regarding the Magic Association.
Someone had to be left to handle affairs in the massive Association. Although Ela and Frieren combined weren't even half as capable as Flamme, Rhodes didn't trust anyone else.
In their room at the inn, Serie sat on a chair by the window, while Rhodes busied himself setting up various barriers around the room.
"Regarding that Demon King," Serie spoke first, her golden eyes staring straight at Rhodes. "What is your specific plan? How confident are you?"
It wasn't that she didn't trust his strength, but this concerned the survival of the world. She wanted to know everything.
Rhodes walked over and sat opposite her, hiding nothing. "I created a sealing spell specifically for her. I plan to use all the Holy Swords currently gathered to construct a super-large composite sealing magic circle to seal her away completely."
Serie frowned immediately. "Just a seal? You should know that even the strongest seal inevitably loosens with the passage of time. A thousand, ten thousand years from now, if someone breaks this seal, the consequences will be unthinkable."
Her worry was not unreasonable. Similar things had happened in history.
Rhodes seemed to have anticipated her question. He leaned forward slightly, placing his hand on her head and rubbing it gently. "Do not worry. It is not a simple seal."
"I will use the Holy Sword from the Southern Unified Empire as the core, embedding it permanently into the seal. Simultaneously, borrowing the power of the other Holy Swords, I will continuously grind away the power within the Demon King's body. This process might take thousands of years, or even longer, but one day, her power will be completely annihilated by the Holy Swords, until not even a trace of her remains."
Hearing this complete plan, Serie's tense expression relaxed. She nodded. "Acceptable."
Then she paused, seemingly thinking of something. "Speaking of which, what exactly is Flamme plotting? Do you know?"
She remembered it was Rhodes who searched Carlo's room. When she arrived, the room was empty, devoid of any useful clues.
At the time, she had asked Rhodes if he found anything, but the man claimed he found nothing.
Now, facing Serie's question again, Rhodes gave the same answer.
"I don't know!"
"Really?" Serie stared at him intensely.
"Really."
"You wouldn't be hiding something from me, would you?" Serie clearly wouldn't be fooled so easily.
"How could I?" Rhodes's smile remained unchanged.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
The two stared at each other for a while. Eventually, Serie was the first to concede.
"Fine. Whatever makes you happy. That Flamme only listens to you anyway." Serie really couldn't do anything about this man.
Rhodes shook his head and laughed, a mysterious smile on his face. "That child has her own thoughts and path. No need to delve too deeply; let her handle it. If she needs help, she will ask."
Although Flamme hid it well, Rhodes had indeed discovered quite a few things in Carlo's place.
Whether it was the residual runes related to Life Magic or the plants left over from experiments in the lab...
Although the complete data had naturally been taken or destroyed by Carlo, Rhodes still deduced the general situation from some clues.
The room fell into a brief silence.
Needing to change the subject, Rhodes raised his head and asked a question he had pondered countless times, his tone thoughtful: "Serie, do you think... is it possible for us to find a once-and-for-all method to completely solve the problem of the Demon Race?"
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 200 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you